March 3, 2003

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

1.    Volunteer and Travel in Eastern Europe This Summer with Bridges for Education!  Bridges for Education, a non-profit volunteer organization, is offering you an opportunity to participate in a three week conversational English teaching program with high school students from many Eastern European countries in the host country of Romania. 
        Sign up and help BFE "build bridges of tolerance and understanding using the English language as a bridge."  No special language skills are required. 
        Teachers, retired teachers, college students, high school students and people from various professional backgrounds are needed.  A fourth week of travel is also included.  Enjoy castles, culture, and many interesting sites.
        Over 75 teachers from the Central Ohio area have participated in our language camps which have been held in Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Kosovo.  The cost of the program is easily within your budget.  Contact the BFE website at www.bridges4edu.org.
        Plan to attend an information meeting, Saturday, March 8 at 1:00pm to be held at the Dublin branch of the Columbus Metro Library or call Gary and Pat Huss, 614-766-6489 or e-mail husspartyof5@aol.com for more information.

2.    SWIFT (Soil and water information for teachers):  Join the Ohio Department of Natural Resources this spring for stream quality monitoring programs on the Big Darby Creek or Olentangy State Scenic River.  Students will get first hand experience in collecting and assessing stream invertebrates to better understand the ecological importance of our scenic rivers in Central Ohio.  Programs are open to 4th through 12th grades.  If interested in reserving a date for your class, contact Michael Lee at ODNR, 614-265-6422.

3.    Environmental Workshops for Educators:  The Franklin and Delaware Soil and Water Conservation Districts are teaming with Highbanks Metro Park to host a series of environmental and conservation education workshops filled with inter-disciplinary hands-on activity ideas.  Teachers, pre-service teachers, park and camp staff, group leaders and home-schooling parents are welcome to join us for any or all of these programs.  These materials will enable educators to help students meet curriculum competencies and gain knowledge, skills, and commitment needed to make informed decisions about conserving our natural resources.  All workshops are from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.  A Certificate of Attendance for CEUs or optional graduate credit is available. 
        For more information or to register, contact:  Linda Pettit, Environmental Education Coordinator, Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, 1660 Gateway Circle, Grove City, OH    43123, phone 614-801-9450, ext. 15.  Linda-pettit@oh.nacdnet.org.

4.    Four Blocks for the Upper Grades:  This workshop, designed for teachers in grades 4-6, deals with guided reading, writing, working with words, and self-selected reading.  It will be offered in Columbus on June 10, 2003, at the Concourse Hotel and Conference Center, 4300 International Gateway.
        Graduate credit is available.  For further information, go to www.SDE.com.

5.    Marburn Academy Summer Programs:  Three innovative programs designed for students experiencing learning difficulties (Language Skills, Math Skills, Written Expression) will be offered by Marburn Academy from July 1 through July 31.  Call 614-433-0822 for admission information.

6.    Summer 2003 Graduate Field Courses for K-12 Teachers:  Established in 1982, this professional development summer program in Bar Harbor, Maine, has served thousands of K-12 teachers from around the country.  If you're interested in expanding your subject area knowledge, exploring new subject material, or adding to your teaching tool kit, then you are likely to enjoy the balance of fieldwork, lab or studio sessions, and seminar discussions in courses taught by an outstanding, caring faculty.
        Daily field trips take place in extraordinary natural settings in Acadia National Park, on the Maine coast and nearby islands, and on the college's scenic bay-side campus.
        For further information, contact Jean Boddy (800-597-9500) www.coa.edu/summer.

7.    Ohio Arts Council's Summer Media Institute July 20-26, 2003:  The Ohio Arts Council and Ohio University invite you to a week-long adventure in making art in the beautiful rolling hills of Southeastern Ohio.  Now in its 16th year, the Summer Media Institute is a nationally recognized program for Ohio's teachers and school administrators.  The institute offers graduate credit, invigorating work, meals, lodging and great camaraderie at a reasonable cost. 
        Participants in the Summer Media Institute work with artists to develop a wide array of media skills and explore new technology by making a movie, photo story, computer animation or digital art.
        Participants will use the lab facilities in the University's schools of Telecommunications, Visual Communication, and Art.  Equipped with up-to-date hardware and advanced software, these labs are some of the most cutting-edge facilities in the state.
        For more information, contact Margot Vetter at 614-466-2613 or margot.vetter@oac.state.oh.us.

8.    Pathwise Training:  With the implementation of the new licensure standards in Ohio, our University of Dayton graduates, as of this school year, had to meet the expectations for the performance based assessment, PRAXIS III.  Passing PRAXIS III provides these beginning teachers the opportunity to move from the two year provisional license which they receive upon graduation, to the five year professional license.
        Mentors, university supervisors, faculty and cooperating teachers will use Pathwise as a formative assessment for the "coaching" of pre-service and beginning teachers.  The Pathwise framework is comprised of the same four domains and nineteen criteria of PRAXIS III.  The Educational Testing Service developed both of these assessment systems.  The University of Dayton is moving towards having all students for field placements, in classrooms where the teachers are Pathwise trained.
        Therefore, this Summer of 2003, UD will be offering multiple sections of Pathwise training.  These workshops are two consecutive all day sessions.  There is a materials fee of $25.00 for all participants, if you would like one hour of graduate credit, the cost will be $145.00 in addition to the $25.00 materials fee.  These can be paid on the morning of the first day of the session by cash, check or credit card.  All sessions will be held in Chaminade Hall, Room 322.
        Any teacher interested in these Pathwise training sessions should contact Patricia Hart at 937-229-3346.

9.    Sympathy is extended to
            . . . Kathy Acklin, secretary at Bishop Hartley High School, and Renee Scurlock, teacher at Saint Catharine School whose husband (father) Bob Acklin died this past week.

Comments to office@cdeducation.org

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